Stephen not only changed his career when he started training with The Coaching Academy but honed in on his skill and passion to coach others in resilience.
What inspired you to enrol with The Coaching Academy?
In 2019 I wanted to do something for my own development and gain a qualification that I could help with my then-current role and future aspirations.
What was/is your profession before becoming a coach?
I was a Local Director in the Banking Industry. I worked there for 26 years.
What was the most rewarding part of your training/journey?
I always felt I was a good coach. Going through the accelerator days, practising my coaching and my practical assessments I soon realised I was probably average at the start. This was a good realisation and made me want to hone my coaching skills.
How did you fit coach training into your busy life?
The information you receive when you first enrol of your diploma is excellent. I used the planning document which was in the training folder to plan out over the next 12 months how I could enjoy my training and workload.
I would say the key is planning, stick to The Coaching Academy Structure and know when you are at your best to learn.
Where are you now? How are you using your coaching skills?
I was lucky enough to take voluntary redundancy in August 2019. This allowed me to set up my own company and coaching business – Inspirational Coaching Limited. I coach clients regularly around resilience and confidence. This could be in their careers, daily life or in teams.
What is your coaching niche and why did you choose it?
I must be honest I kept racking my brain to find my niche however it found me. Before I left my old role my line manager was asking what I was doing and I explained to him that I was trying to find my niche. He replied, “Steve you display such resilience and always look on the positive I think you would be great at that”. My learning from that is by asking people you know or work with they will help you find your niche.
What are your top tips for:
People who are looking to become qualified as a professional coach?
The Coaching Academy has been superb in the training given and the documentation. Feedback has always by well structured and allowed me to reflect. I wanted to be a professional coach, therefore, my passion drove me towards qualifying and being a professionally qualified coach in the industry.
You have nothing to lose but everything to gain. How much is your development worth?
Those currently in training with TCA?
Stick to the training plan The Coaching Academy gives to you. It has been planned by specialists, it gives you the development you need and it makes you a more rounded person. If you feel you are having a wobble ask for help from The Coaching Academy. The students you meet are fantastic and are of like-minded people.
If you're interested in finding out more about life coaching, just like Stephen did, start by joining us in our interactive live online training. Choose from available dates here.
The Coaching Academy was established in 1999, and is now the world's largest coaching school.
In that time we have trained over 14,000 people to become life coaches.
We are accredited by the International Coach Federation and the Association for Coaching, and we're rated 4.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot.
